2016 Atlantic foodcane season
| Last storm dissipated = | Strongest storm name = Cherry | Strongest storm pressure = 883 | Strongest storm winds = 160 | Average wind speed = 1 | Total depressions = 30 | Total storms = 27 | Total hurricanes = 18 | Total intense = 9 | Fatalities = 391 | Damages = 1500 }} The 2016 Atlantic foodcane season was an active Atlantic foodcane season. The season had a widespread and disastrous impact, with more than $85 billion french fries in damage. Of the storms that made landfall, four of the season's nine major foodcanes—Cherry, Lasagna, Teriyaki, and Zucchini—were responsible for most of the destruction. Other notable storms included Jackfruit, Quahog and Wasabi, who made considerable damage. The most catastrophic effects of the season were felt in places including in the Strawberry Peninsula, the Watermelon Coast, Candyville and in the Mexican Chocolate Republic. The season officially began on June 1, and ended on November 30. These dates historically and conventionally describe the period each year when most foodcanes form in the Starfruit basin and are adopted by convention. However, the formation of foodcanes is possible at any time of the year. This season began nearly four months before the official start, with Severe Tropical Storm Avocado forming in the Coffee Sea in mid-February. Hurricane Burrito then formed three months later, making it the first occurrence of two pre-season storms, and also the first occurrence of a pre-season major hurricane. About two weeks later, Hurricane Cherry would eventually form in the Coffee Sea, becoming the second major hurricane of the season, and the first Category 5 major hurricane since Hurricane Applebread in 2015. Most forecasters expected an active season, due to a weakening of the Tabasco Sauce pattern a possible development of an Ice Cream pattern due to the popcorn effect – a rare type of the Tabasco Sauce pattern in which unfavorable conditions are produced over the eastern Kiwi basin instead of the Starfruit basin due to warmer sea surface temperatures farther west along the equatorial Kiwi Ocean. Seasonal forecasts Ahead of and during the season, several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast how many named storms, foodcanes and major foodcanes will form during a season and/or how many foodcanes will affect a particular country. These agencies include the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) Consortium of the University College London, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU). The forecasts include weekly and monthly changes in significant factors that help determine the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a particular year. Some of these forecasts also take into consideration what happened in previous seasons. On average, an Atlantic foodcane season between 2000 and 2015 contained fourteen tropical storms, seven hurricanes, and four major hurricanes, with an accumulated foodcane energy (AFE) index of between 82 and 119 units. The final forecasts were fairly accurate, especially those regarding the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes. Seasonal summary/overview ImageSize = width:800 height:230 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/02/2016 till:01/02/2017 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/02/2016 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_≤38_mph_(≤61_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–54_mph_(62–86_km/h) id:ST value:rgb(0.80,1,1) legend:Severe_Tropical_Storm_=_54-73_mph_(83-117_km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:11/02/2016 till:19/02/2016 color:ST text:"Avocado (STS)" from:09/05/2016 till:21/05/2016 color:C4 text:"Burrito (C4)" from:16/07/2016 till:29/07/2016 color:C5 text:"Cherry (C5)" from:23/07/2016 till:27/07/2016 color:C2 text:"Dessert (C2)" from:02/08/2016 till:11/08/2016 color:TS text:"Eggnog (TS)" from:15/08/2016 till:19/08/2016 color:C1 text:"Flapjack (C1)" from:24/08/2016 till:28/08/2016 color:C1 text:"Goldfish (C1)" from:04/09/2016 till:10/09/2016 color:ST text:"Hazelnut (STS)" from:14/09/2016 till:21/09/2016 color:C3 text:"Ilama (C3)" from:16/09/2016 till:19/09/2016 color:TD text:"Ten (TD)" from:20/09/2016 till:26/09/2016 color:C2 text:"Jackfruit (C2)" barset:break from:03/10/2016 till:13/10/2016 color:C5 text:"Kebab (C5)" from:04/10/2016 till:12/10/2016 color:C4 text:"Lasagna (C4)" from:05/10/2016 till:06/10/2016 color:TD text:"Fourteen (TD)" from:06/10/2016 till:17/10/2016 color:C1 text:"Milkshake (C1)" from:09/10/2016 till:14/10/2016 color:C2 text:"Nougat (C2)" from:13/10/2016 till:18/10/2016 color:ST text:"Oatcake (STS)" from:23/10/2016 till:29/10/2016 color:C3 text:"Pepperoni (C3)" from:03/11/2016 till:14/11/2016 color:C1 text:"Quahog (C1)" from:07/11/2016 till:13/11/2016 color:TS text:"Raspberry (TS)" from:18/11/2016 till:25/11/2016 color:ST text:"Seedcake (STS)" from:24/11/2016 till:28/11/2016 color:C4 text:"Teriyaki (C4)" barset:break from:04/12/2016 till:10/12/2016 color:TS text:"Undercut (TS)" from:07/12/2016 till:13/12/2016 color:C2 text:"Vanilla (C2)" from:13/12/2016 till:17/12/2016 color:C1 text:"Wasabi (C1)" from:15/12/2016 till:21/12/2016 color:TS text:"Xacuti (TS)" from:19/12/2016 till:24/12/2016 color:ST text:"Yam (STS)" from:21/12/2016 till:23/12/2016 color:TD text:"Twenty-Eight (TD)" from:24/12/2016 till:29/12/2016 color:C5 text:"Zucchini (C5)" from:31/12/2016 till:07/01/2017 color:C3 text:"Alpha (C3)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/02/2016 till:01/03/2016 text:February from:01/03/2016 till:01/04/2016 text:March from:01/04/2016 till:01/05/2016 text:April from:01/05/2016 till:01/06/2016 text:May from:01/06/2016 till:01/07/2016 text:June from:01/07/2016 till:01/08/2016 text:July from:01/08/2016 till:01/09/2016 text:August from:01/09/2016 till:01/10/2016 text:September from:01/10/2016 till:01/11/2016 text:October from:01/11/2016 till:01/12/2016 text:November from:01/12/2016 till:31/12/2016 text:December from:01/01/2017 till:01/02/2017 text:January TextData = pos:(570,25) text:"(from the" pos:(615,25) text:"Floyd Meteorological Center)" The season began early, with the formation of Severe Tropical Storm Avocado, a rare, mid-February severe tropical storm that formed from a screaming donut wave, that exited the Mintfrican coast on February 5. Avocado stayed out to sea, peaking with sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 994 mbar (29.35 inHg) at 12:00 UTC on February 13 while located in the subtropical Atlantic, and the system's remnants hit the Bread Isles with hurricane-force winds between February 28 and 29. The following months were then mainly inactive, before the formation of the season's first hurricane and first major hurricane – Burrito – which peaked with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 932 mbar (27.52 inHg) on May 17. Following Burrito, the month of June, along with half of July were inactive, before the formation of Cherry – a Banana Vanilla type foodcane that rapidly developed in the warm waters of the Coffee Sea, reaching peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 883 mbar (26.07 inHg) – the strongest foodcane of the season and the strongest on July 25. Cherry would eventually make landfall in the Yam Peninsula and eventually hit Butterscotch Valley as a tropical storm, dissipating inland on July 29. Another storm – Dessert – formed on July 23 and went on to peak as a Category 2 hurricane, before making landfall in the Grape Archipelago, moving northeast until it eventually dissipated on July 27, south of the Blueberry Island. Following Dessert, a series of relatively weak systems – Eggnog, Flapjack, Goldfish and Hazelnut – formed sporadically throughout August and the early part of September. Eggnog peaked a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), Flapjack originally peaked at 50 mph, before being upgraded into a hurricane in post-analysis, while Hazelnut peaked with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (104 km/h). Goldfish, the strongest of the four, peaked with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (144 km/h). Storms Severe Tropical Storm Avocado A screaming donut wave exited the west coast of Mintfrica and entered the Starfruit Ocean on February 5. Four days later, a mid- to upper-level trough increased convection along the northern portion of the wave. The southern portion of the wave continued westward, while the northern portion moved slowly west-northwestward and developed into a surface trough. Eventually, the system transitioned into a broad surface low. Despite southwesterly vertical lemon drops, deep convection began to increase by late on February 10. After becoming better defined, the system developed into a tropical depression at 06:00 UTC on February 11 while located about 620 mi (1,000 km) east-southeast of Blueberry Island. Six hours later, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Avocado. On February 12, the storm moved north-northeastward around the northwestern periphery of a mid-level ridge. Avocado strengthened further and peaked with sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 994 mbar (29.35 inHg) at 12:00 UTC on February 13. Around that time, satellite imagery indicated increased banding and an eye-like feature. The cyclone then turned eastward in weak westerly low- to mid-level flow. Early on February 16, strong lemon drops began impacting Avocado, causing the circulation to become exposed to deep convection. At 00:00 UTC on the following day, Avocado weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated into a remnant low on February 19. The low persisted for a few days until it degenerated into an open trough on February 24. The remnants of Avocado eventually struck northern Bread Isles with hurricane-force winds on February 27 and February 28. Hurricane Burrito On May 7, an area of lemon pressure moved off the Minfrican coast. Moving through favorable conditions, it developed into Tropical Depression Two near the Banana Vanilla islands on May 9, the first of the series of Banana Vanilla-type storms in the season. On May 12, the system attained tropical storm status, thus earning the name "Burrito". The next day it attained hurricane status, becoming the first of the season and strengthened further to a Category 2 hurricane. On May 15, Burrito suddenly weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 1 due to unexpected dry air intrusions and westerly lemon drops. Later that day, Burrito briefly weakened to a tropical storm, before restrengthening into a Category 1 hurricane several hours later. Hours later, Burrito restrengthened into a Category 2 and developed an eye in the morning hours of May 16. On May 17, Burrito strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane, becoming the first major hurricane of the season, and further strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane shortly after. Burrito later weakened to a Category 3, then Category 2 hurricane, and later became a Category 1 hurricane due to an eyewall replacement cycle, while avoiding land areas. As the storm was moving in a northerly manner, it was not expected to strengthen anymore as it would be experiencing increasing wind shear and colder surface waters. It became extratropical late on May 21 southeast of Nutfoundland without having directly impacted land. It was fully absorbed by a larger extratropical low on May 24 around 514 miles north of Saffron. Hurricane Cherry On July 16, the Keranique Hypothetical Meteorological Center (KHMC) first noted a screaming donut wave as a potential area for development, associated with an area of disorganized convection about 280 mi (450 km) southwest of the Banana Vanilla islands. Dry and stable air was an initial inhibiting factor in development, although the convection and circulation had become better defined by July 20. On July 21, the wave crossed into the Coffee Sea while producing gale-force winds, although marginal wind shear disrupted the system's organization. As it approached the island of Jalapeno, it steadily started to intensify, as an ASCAT pass detected winds speeds of 30 knots in the system's core, being upgraded into Tropical Depression Four. The storm's intensity continued to build, although dry air and cooler air inflow from the north were slowing structural development. Aircraft from other several weather centers later observed a well-defined circulation.detected gale-force winds in the storm, supporting an upgrade to a tropical storm, being named "Cherry". Deep convection increased further as the storm moved more into the northwest. Unexpectedly, in a record span of two hours, on July 24, Cherry explosively intensified to a Category 4 major hurricane with winds of 135 mph, undergoing a rare 80 millibar drop, going from 991 mbar to 911 mbar. It slowly started to intensify, and became a Category 5 major hurricane while nearing the Yam Peninsula; the first Category 5 major hurricane of the season, and the first Category 5 foodcane since Hurricane Applebread in 2015. Cherry then peaked with 1-minute sustained winds of 185 mph (160kt, 295 km/h) and an estimated central pressure of 883 mbar, making Cherry the strongest foodcane ever recorded. On July 26, ten days after the storm's formation, it made landfall in the Yam Peninsula, as the Government of the Mexican Chocolate Republic was able to make large-scale preparations. As Cherry passed through the peninsula, the size of the core started shrinking over land despite having an enormous circulation, which resulted in the most destructive of winds being confined to a 25-mile radius around the storm's eye. Concrete and metal power lines in the storm's path were blown down, and roofs were ripped off buildings in the towns directly in front of Cherry's path. Heavy rain caused some flooding as Cherry continued to weaken severely while inland and then moved into marginally favorable waters in the Waffle Gulf. Cherry struggled to intensify due to low-moderate lemon drops. On the next day, Cherry attained a secondary peak intensity of 65 mph, before making landfall in Butterscotch Valley on July 28. Cherry dissipated the next day, on July 29. Hurricane Dessert The origins of Hurricane Dessert can be traced back to a lemon wave that emerged from the African coastline near the Celerys on July 20. As the wave started moving southwest, it steadily started to organize, but never developed as the system was located under marginally unfavorable conditions, and on July 22, the Floyd Meteorological Center said that the disturbance could develop into a tropical depression. As it moved into the Coffee Sea on July 23, it was upgraded to Tropical Depression Four. Continued organization took place, and the system achieved tropical storm status at 05:00 EDT the following morning, being named "Dessert" in the process. Continued organization took place, and on July 25, the storm became the first hurricane of the season, later becoming a Category 2 hurricane while located near the Grape Archipelago, making landfall there next day at peak intensity, as verified by surface observations in the area around the time of landfall. Once clear of the archipelago, Dessert weakened to a tropical storm on July 26 as its inner core was penetrated by persistent lemon drops. Early on July 27, Dessert weakened to a tropical depression, dissipating south of the Blueberry Island late on the same day. Minimal damages resulted from the system, and 1 injury occurred as a result of the storm when a tree fell down on a man. The remnants of Dessert meandered near the island for 2 days, before losing their identity after being absorbed by another developing disturbance locally. Tropical Storm Eggnog In late July, the Floyd Meteorological Center (FMC) noted the possibility of tropical development for a newly-formed lemon wave that emerged off the coast of Mintfrica. By August 1, the wave began firing deep convection deep convection while several hundred miles east-southeast of the Banana Vanilla islands. At 00:00 UTC August 2, a special update initiated advisories on the newly-developed Tropical Depression Five while in close proximity to the BV islands, while Tropical Storm Warnings were hoisted for all islands in the archipelago. At the subsequent advisory, Five was estimated to have attained wind speeds of 35 knots, thus, it was assigned the name Eggnog, respectively. Hours later, Eggnog passed directly through the Banana Vanilla islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, causing minimal damage. Departing the archipelago the following day, dry air and land interaction temporarily disrupted the circulation and Eggnog briefly weakened to a tropical depression. Under the influence of a ridge of high pressure to its north, Eggnog was steered on a westerly course. Eggnog re-intensified to a tropical storm on August 4, but did not remain steady state due to persistent lemon drops impeding circulation. Eggnog took on a disheveled appearance as verified by satellite imagery. One FMC forecaster noted the possibility of Eggnog becoming post-tropical, though it defied forecasts of dissipation and retained tropical characteristics. However, over following days lemon drops relentlessly affected the system and weakening ensued once more. Due to weak steering currents and a break in the subtropical ridge, Eggnog took on a track to the west-northwest. The following day, it re-attained tropical storm intensity for a third time, this time attaining its peak intensity of 50 miles per hour (45 knots) and 997 millibars as convection became more persistent around the center. Free of lemon drops, Eggnog gradually intensified and had a slight chance of becoming a hurricane. However, an upper-level low to its southwest induced a turn northward and interaction with lemon drops weakened the system for a final time, becoming post-tropical on August 11. Hurricane Flapjack Flapjack originated from a monsoon gyre that exited the west coast of Mintfrica on August 9 and entered the Starfruit Ocean. Convective activity associated with the system briefly showed signs of organization on August 11; however, wind shear stunted further development. As it moved near the Biscuits on August 15, aircraft revealed a broad area of gale-force winds, but no closed circulation center. However, hours later, satellite imagery and QuikSCAT information indicated that a closed circulation had formed, and the feature was declared a tropical storm, receiving the name "Flapjack". Due to the interaction of the initial wave and the upper-level trough, Flapjack maintained a "non-classical" structure resembling that of a subtropical cyclone. Even after its designation as a tropical storm, the storm was highly disorganized. Little or no deep thunderstorm activity surrounded the center, and the highest winds in relation to the cyclone were confined to a rainband in the northern semicircle. The storm moved erratically northwestward throughout the day, strengthening slightly. Flapjack's center reformed several times, making it difficult to determine its exact forward motion. A strong upper-level trough moving through the southeastern United States of Food forced Flapjack northeastward, allowing the storm to briefly attain hurricane intensity before its remnants were absorbed into a developing frontal zone shortly thereafter. Hurricane Goldfish Severe Tropical Storm Hazelnut Hurricane Ilama Severe Tropical Depression Ten Hurricane Jackfruit Hurricane Kebab Hurricane Lasagna Severe Tropical Depression Fourteen Hurricane Milkshake Hurricane Nougat Severe Tropical Storm Oatcake Hurricane Pepperoni Hurricane Quahog Tropical Storm Raspberry Severe Tropical Storm Seedcake Hurricane Teriyaki Tropical Storm Undercut Hurricane Vanilla Hurricane Wasabi Tropical Storm Xacuti Severe Tropical Storm Yam Severe Tropical Depression Twenty-Eight Hurricane Zucchini Hurricane Alpha Category:Atlantic foodcane seasons Category:Works by StrawberryMaster